Chapter 493: Chapter 223: Outbreak of Battle, Breaking the Siege, Honored Guest
Swoosh... swoosh... swoosh...
Hundreds of blood-colored arrows came rushing from the rear, all aimed at the Cold Resistance Level of Long Mountain. Li Xuanyan and fifteen other Cold Resistance Level members, who were violently slaughtering the frontline Blood Guard Army, felt the blood arrows approaching and immediately altered their movements.
At the same time, the Great Han led ten Cold Resistance Level members, advancing step by step with the Blood Guard Army, closing the distance with leader Hou Hu.
"Chen Yingyuan, Peng Bo, what are you two standing there for?"
Seeing the Blood Guard Army about to break through the blockade, Li Xuandu couldn’t help but angrily shout at Chen Peng and the other, gesturing them to join the fight.
Hearing this, Chen Peng and the other showed a moment of hesitation as they saw the Blood Guard Army gaining ground, but they quickly sprang into action and charged forward.
Having already stood with Long Mountain, betraying them now would certainly offend, but more importantly, would Zhaoyang still accept them without reservations?
With the two of them joining the battlefield, the initially unstoppable Blood Guard Army suddenly halted for a few moments; although they continued to push forward, their speed had significantly slowed.
At this crucial juncture, the addition of two Cold Resistance Level members indeed made a notable impact. After all, on the other side, Li Tiancheng was already forcing Hou Hu into a corner, not far from killing him.
Everyone on the battlefield, though emotionally charged, kept glancing towards the west side. Those on Long Mountain awaited Li Tiancheng’s swift victory over Hou Hu; meanwhile, Zhaoyang was filled with worry, hoping for Hou Hu’s swift escape.
"We can still fight a while longer; not enough have died yet, let’s wait..."
Xia Hong, hidden in the dark, briefly scanned the battlefield and noticed that less than a tenth of the soldiers were down. His expression flickered slightly as he continued watching Li Tiancheng and Hou Hu.
Whish...
Li Tiancheng’s Ghost Head Great Saber was once again blocked by Hou Hu’s long staff, but suddenly it shifted from chopping to slicing, the saber gliding along the staff to Hou Hu’s neck, slashing across it abruptly.
The snowflakes in mid-air shattered, the blade sweeping with violent force, forming a semicircular arc and condensing the surrounding air, with the edge nearly touching Hou Hu’s neck, a thin bloodline visible to the eye.
"Vile Tiger, your life is mine!"
Li Tiancheng looked down at Hou Hu, killing intent nearly tangible in his eyes as he forcefully pressed the Ghost Head Great Saber down, widening the bloodline on Hou Hu’s neck by another centimeter.
Gurgle...
Any lower and he would undoubtedly die!
Feeling the pain on his neck and the blood trickling to his chest, Hou Hu’s fear deepened. Then, as if realizing something, desperation filled his eyes and he glared at Li Tiancheng, roaring furiously:
"Old thing, you think you’re Li Tianhua? Dream on if you want to kill me!"
Before the words even fell, Hou Hu withdrew the long staff that he had used to defend himself, halting his wild retreat, allowing the saber to press into his neck while enduring the pain. Simultaneously, he swung the staff with both hands from behind, from left to right, aiming a sweeping strike at Li Tiancheng’s left shoulder.
Whoosh... roar...
The gale from the sweeping staff arose, whipping up the snow around and sending a snow mist tens of meters high into the air, testifying to its terrifying power.
The Coiled Dragon Pattern on the staff seemed to come alive at that moment, the howling gale turning into a roar of an unidentified Cold Beast.
Li Tiancheng’s gaze was serious as he saw the incoming sweep from the left. Gritting his teeth, he surprisingly didn’t dodge but continued pressing the saber towards Hou Hu’s neck.
Hou Hu, disregarding his neck’s crisis, staked everything on the sweep, betting that Li Tiancheng would not dare take it head-on. But Li Tiancheng, in ferocity, was equally willing to risk injury to kill Hou Hu.
The fierce determination in both men reached its peak, and they chose to clash forcefully.
Bam...
The long staff struck Li Tiancheng’s left shoulder, though no sound of bone cracking was heard, Li Tiancheng’s body was inevitably thrown five or six meters to the right, crashing to the ground with a loud thud, raising a mass of snow mist.
Hou Hu was also jolted backward by the saber, stumbling seven or eight meters back, nearly losing his grip on the staff. Quickly regaining his footing, he pulled out a handful of powder from his bosom, covering the wound on his neck, the sight of blood seeping through his fingers indicating the severity of the cut from Li Tiancheng’s saber.
More crucially, Hou Hu seemed aware of Li Tiancheng’s injuries, his gaze locked on the snow mist, void of any expectation, his expression extremely grim.
"Cough, cough... getting old, truly aging. A little brat who once trained with my elder brother can push me this far!"
A raspy cough sounded from within the snow mist, Li Tiancheng’s words showed acceptance of his aging, yet his tone carried a distinct pride.
Moreover, his calling Hou Hu a "little brat" suggested that the recent exchange ultimately favored the elder Li Tiancheng.
As the snow mist dissipated, Li Tiancheng’s figure gradually appeared. His left shoulder was a bloody mess, with the white of bone starkly visible, yet his movement remained unaffected. Holding the Ghost Head Great Saber, he approached Hou Hu step by step, his aged face full of killing intent.
"You think you can turn the skies just because my brother isn’t here? Meet your death!"
Unlike Li Xuanyan’s indecision, Li Tiancheng was much more resolute. Before his words were fully spoken, he charged straight at Hou Hu, raising his saber to strike down on his head.